The moment your story stops being performative and starts being useful

Most people wait for the “right time” to tell their story.
That’s usually the reason it never lands.

In this episode, Eric Koester sits down with Roy Choi, acclaimed chef, television personality and the author of L.A. Son, to talk about what actually makes a personal story work, and why forcing meaning onto your past almost always backfires.

Roy shares how his darkest periods didn’t become useful material until he stopped trying to make them inspiring and started telling the truth without performance. The result wasn’t just a better book, it was clarity about who the story was really for.

This conversation is for anyone who feels called to write but is stuck between oversharing and self-protection, or polishing a story that no longer feels honest.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why timing matters less than readiness
• How your history shapes your voice, whether you acknowledge it or not
• The difference between vulnerability that builds trust and vulnerability that repels it
• What Roy actually thinks about while shaping a memoir that feels lived-in, not curated

Writing your story isn’t about exposure.
It’s about choosing the version of the truth that creates movement, for you and for the reader.